How to Wax & Seal a Floor

Sealer must be applied before wax to a clean, unfinished floor.

Sealing your wood floors protects the wood and brings out its natural beauty. Floor sealers also prepare your wood floors to accept a wax finish by filling the pores of the wood. There are a range of polyurethane or penetrating sealers that dry to a hard, protective finish. Waxing the floor after sealing helps prolong the life of your sealer and protects the surface of the floor. Wax also provides you with the level of shine you desire and protects the wood from stains and moisture.

Sealing

1

Clear the room of furniture and sweep or vacuum the floor thoroughly. Wear a dust mask and safety goggles before you begin.

2

Sand the floor if it has been sealed previously. Use a drum sander and begin with 20-grit sandpaper. Move the sander parallel to the wood grain and overlap each pass until you’ve sanded the entire floor. Use an orbital sander to sand the edges of the floor and to smooth out any gouges created by the drum sander. Repeat sanding with finer grit sandpaper, such as 36-grit, and then again with 100-grit sandpaper.

3

Sweep or vacuum the sanding dust and debris. Clean the floor using water and a mild cleaner. Allow the wood to dry before you begin sealing.

4

Prepare your sealer according to the manufacturer’s directions. Fill a mop bucket with water, and line a second bucket with plastic, then fill it with your sealer solution.

5

Wet a mop with the water, and then wring it out so that it is damp but not wet.

6

Dip the mop into the sealer and then wring it out so that the mop head is wet but doesn’t drip.

7

Begin applying sealer at the farthest corner of the room, spreading it first along the baseboards. Use a figure-eight motion, moving side to side and back toward the doorway. Overlap your strokes and do not leave puddles on the floor.

8

Continue this way, dipping the mop into the sealer as needed, until you cover the entire floor. Allow the sealer to dry between coats and before waxing.

Waxing

1

Scoop paste wax into a soft, porous rag or a piece of cheesecloth. If you’re using liquid wax, pour a small amount directly onto the floor.

2

Rub the wax on the wood, moving in the direction of the flooring. For patterned or parquet floors, rub in a circular motion. Work in 2-foot sections until you’ve covered the entire floor.

3

Allow the wax to dry for about an hour, unless the manufacturer’s directions say you can buff right away.

4

Buff in the wax using a white buffing pad or fine steel wool. Buff in the direction of the flooring for plank floors. On parquet floors, buff north to south and then east to west. Leave it to dry about 10 minutes and then buff it again until you have the shine you want.

5

Allow the wax to dry and buff it with a soft rag. Old strips of flannel or the inside of a sweatshirt are ideal, or use a motorized buffer with a fine polishing brush.

6

Move furniture back onto the floor when you’re done. If it is humid, wait 24 hours before moving furniture back onto the floor.